CH 7

Translated by EunEun

Edited by Slowday

‘Huh?’

Beatty looked puzzled.

‘Did he just say… a runaway?’

Why did the word that was used to describe a disobedient family’s child come up in the conversation?

Beatty tilted her head because she couldn’t understand the boy’s greetings.

Behind the boy, the knight Beatty saw when she just arrived at the Duke’s castle whispered to him. He anxiously stomped both of his feet with that kind of body frame.

“Y-Young Master! Now the Young Miss is at a very delicate age. Such a lack of sensitivity could incite even more rebelliousness!”

“What?”

“The 8-year-old Young Miss is very sensitive right now, it’s a period that anyone in the Aslan Family goes through.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course! Can’t you tell from the fact that she ran away from home?”

All of a sudden.

The knight tried to convince him, he even clenched his fist.

“That’s why, so that Young Master would not be seen as a foolish adult, you have to treat Young Miss carefully….”

“Hm.”

The knight who whispered, “Be careful in treating children at this kind of time!” to the Young Master, silently recalled the past.

‘At that time, Young Master also went berserk… ahem!’

The boy nodded his head at the knight’s words, roughly mumbling that he understood. Then, he moved with heavy footsteps.

“Y-Young Master!”

The startled knight suddenly rushed out of Beatty’s sight because of Young Master’s appearance.

“There’s blood in your hand!”

The boy’s still young hands were dripping with blood that soaked the carpet.

Of course, it wasn’t the boy’s blood.

“You must wipe out all of the blood…!”

The knight nags in whispers so that the Young Miss behind him wouldn’t hear. The boy tilted his head in wonder at the sight.

“Why?”

“…! Anyway, Young Master can’t go in like this!”

He needs to finish up the problem of persuading the indifferent Young Master. The knight who made such a promise quickly took out his handkerchief and wiped his hands hard.

He wiped the red blood off the boy’s face and hands, also to the end of his hair, then finally backed off with a relieved countenance.

“Now it’s finished.”

“…Ha.”

Annoying.

The boy breathed out an irritated sigh, then approached Beatty with a scowl.

Gulp.

Beatty swallowed her saliva and looked up at him.

Even though she was currently a human, he looked so tall. It was like she was still a squirrel.

Compared to his fourteen or fifteen-year-old face, his body was as big as an adult’s.

His face was beautiful, that kind of look portrayed in a famous painting. Yet his fierce eyes that didn’t match such a face reminded her of the boy’s identity.

‘Carlitos El Aslan.’ 

That name was widely known, not only to the kingdom but also to the entire continent.

He was a genius swordsman who demonstrated outstanding skill since he was young. The young boy already went around the battlefield like it was his house from the age of ten.

Due to his merciless hands, his hair was dyed red by the blood to the point it became difficult to recognize its original color. For that reason, he was given a nickname. It was…

‘The Red Lion.’

He was such a famous figure for when he pulled out a sword, there would be a bloody bath.

‘But it was before the regression.’

Now, was it before that nickname was given?

Beatty was slightly curious about the time the Red Lion’s reputation became well-known.

Although she didn’t know what the boy was called now, she was sure about one thing.

‘Whether his hair is dyed by blood or not, his aura is terrifying!’

Even if the boy didn’t pull out the sword, he still gave off intense energy.

Brr.

The radiating chill briefly brushed her back. All of a sudden, she felt her hair stand on end.

‘This person is my… older brother.’

His face was that of a stranger’s face she had only seen in the newspaper.

Beatty nervously looked forward to her first meeting with her family.

Hm?

The golden-eyed boy tilted his head. He looked down at Beatty, like a predator judging whether the docile animal he played with was deemed to be his food or not.

“Little sister you said….”

Beatty didn’t understand his words.

‘…does he not like it that I’m his little sister?’

The boy, who was observing Beatty thoroughly, wrinkled up his forehead.

“Why.”

Rustle.

Beatty flinched unknowingly at the boy’s grumbling tone.

“Why is there a snake’s unpleasant scent coming out from you?”

‘Snake’s scent?’

What did he mean?

The boy, who blurted out ridiculous words, hung his head closer to her.

‘Hik—’

Beatty completely stiffened because his face suddenly approached hers.

The boy’s golden eyes filled up her view.

‘….This is Aslan’s Golden Eyes.’

Surely, it was an appearance that looked down at her disrespectfully.

But unexpectedly, the golden eyes felt warm. Somehow, Beatty felt strange.

‘I can’t believe I’m actually witnessing a predator’s eyes that I’ve only heard of.’

However, different from the ‘The Predator’s Eyes’ rumors, which suppressed people just by looking at them, those eyes didn’t give her such a stifling feeling.

‘Rather than being suffocated…’

The more she stared at him, the cozier she felt.

‘It feels just like an empty bowl being filled.’

Beatty somehow tilted her head. The area near her wrist, where the signum was located, suddenly felt itchy.

“Hm?”

The boy, who was looking down at her, opened his mouth with a somewhat curious look.

“You.”

‘Oh my gosh.’

It seemed that she had been indiscriminately staring for too long.

‘Moreover, your gaze looks like you dislike me for being your little sister.’

But then, an unexpected question came out, surprising Beatty who was worried about his opinion.

“You’re not scared of me?”

“Pardon?”

The boy smirked, reading Beatty’s baffled face.

“Kyaak!”

He grabbed Beatty’s nape as if he was picking up some baby animal.

‘What, what’s this?!’

The flustered Beatty wriggled.

“Hm.”

He wasn’t… troubled at all. Meanwhile, she was struggling. All of sudden, he lightly threw her up high in the air.

Thump.

“!!”

She was held in his arms.

Just like an adult handling a baby, the boy lightly held the 8-year-old Beatty.

She could guess the boy’s physical strength by the arms that didn’t even shake, more so with her whole body weight leaning on him.

The boy sat her on one arm, and with his other hand, he patted her back as if he was calming her down.

It was a perfect cradle.

‘I was hugged! I was hugged?’

Beatty had never experienced such friendly touch before, so she froze just like that.

“Stay still.”

The boy securely supported her with one arm, then raised his other hand and wiped Beatty’s nape.

‘Huh?’

What is it?

‘Did I spill something when I was eating earlier?’

Beatty was puzzled.

‘But can it get on the back of my neck?’

Beatty tilted her head with a curious look. But she did not know, the place he rubbed was exactly the spot bitten by Ritter.

“Done.”

The boy announced with a satisfied smile, fulfilled with the decent work of burying the snake’s scent with his own.

Although it was an appalling smile that came out with a sharp canine tooth peeping out.

“?”

At the sight of the boy looking straight at her with a smile on his face, Beatty tilted her head.

‘Or… did he actually not dislike me?’

At this moment, Beatty felt something that previously shriveled up, threatened to leap out of her chest. 

“?!”

Surprised by the boy’s following action, Beatty became speechless and her body stiffened.

The boy held Beatty tightly in his arms like a doll, then buried his nose in her nape.

He breathed in deeply and whispered.

“Now, it smells right.”

“….”

The boy tilted his head when he saw her turn stiff like a wooden doll.

“Are you dead?”

“What are you saying in front of a young lady, Young Master?!”

The frightened knight next to him yelled in surprise.

Thump. Thump.

Since earlier, Beatty’s heart has been pounding loudly, unsuited to her little body.

The boy clasped Beatty’s stiff neck carelessly. He checked her beating pulse, then murmured.

“But, she’s still alive?”

‘Of course, I’m still alive!’

He was such a strange child, saying nasty things so naturally.

‘I-I need to keep my distance.’

She wriggled out of his arms, asking to be released. Fortunately, the boy obediently let go of her, so Beatty quickly escaped from his arms.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

She curled up on her knees and managed to calm her fluttering heart.

“Young Miss! My goodness, Young Master! You have to treat her carefully so she won’t be hurt! Young Miss is still young!”

“Hurt?”

“Yes!”

“If she’s hurt, even when I didn’t pull out a sword, that means she couldn’t live long, right?”

“…!”

Beatty’s mouth was wide open at the boy’s cruel words.

‘A sword? “Even when I didn’t pull out a sword?” It’s our first meeting but you’re telling me that you are thinking about whether you should pull out a sword or not?’

Indeed the Red Lion! He was already cruel ever since he was young!